Loyola University Chicago

Department of Political Science

Comparative and International Politics

Graduate Study in Comparative and International Politics

Loyola University Chicago offers M.A. and Ph.D. Programs in Comparative and International Politics. The Department of Political Science prides itself on the individual attention it gives to graduate students and has designed degree programs with that attention in mind.

The Comparative and International Politics degree concentrations seek to prepare students for the challenges of an increasingly interdependent world. Graduate students in Comparative and International Politics have the opportunity to pursue studies in Comparative Politics and International Politics, including concentrations in International Political Economy and Institutions, Foreign Policy Studies, Comparative Politics in Developing Areas, and Comparative Politics in Advanced Industrial Societies.

Graduate students work directly with faculty members in Comparative and International Politics to develop professional skills. Comparative and International Politics faculty encourage students to conduct scholarly research, participate in conferences, and publish research, both in collaboration with faculty and on their own.

The Department of Political science has offered graduate programs, including the Ph.D., for more than 20 years. Students in Comparative and International Politics receive training in research design, quantitative methods, and foreign languages, and may minor in either American Politics or Political Theory.

Degree Programs

Students interested in Comparative and International Politics may pursue a Master of Arts, and joint Master of Arts/Juris Doctor, or Doctor of Philosophy program.

Master of Arts

30 hours coursework (10 courses), including

  • 5 courses in Comparative and International Politics
  • 2 courses in Political Analysis (PLSC 475 & PLSC 476)
  • 3 elective courses

Written Comprehensive examination in Comparative and International Politics.

Doctor of Philosophy

60 hours of coursework (20 courses), including

  • 6 courses in Comparative and International Politics
  • 2 courses in Political Analysis (PLSC 475 & PLSC 476)
  • 4 courses in minor field (American Politics or Political Theory)
  • 8 elective courses (2 can be in a related discipline)

Written and oral Comprehensive examination in Comparative and International Politics and one minor field.

Special Programs

Loyola University Chicago is a member of the Inter-university Consortium of Political and Social Research (ICPSR) and has access to all datasets distributed through this organization, such as the Eurobarometers and statistical reports generated by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

Advising

Each graduate student is assigned an advisor from among the Comparative and International Politics faculty, beginning a process of mentoring and collaboration. Faculty work closely with their students to insure they receive the best training and coursework in their chosen fields of study. Loyola's faculty is particularly successful at working with students on collaborative research leading to conference papers and published journal articles.

Placement

Our graduate program has been notably successful in placing its Ph.D. graduates in university faculty positions. About ninety percent of the graduates of our program who have sought academic posts have been placed in tenure-track positions. Graduates of our M.A. program pursue a number of career paths, including further graduate work and employment in the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors.